


Something That Starts with an R

by Tator



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Niall makes weapons, Reconquista, Zayn is a trader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 07:00:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2300675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tator/pseuds/Tator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall didn’t exactly fit in after he moved to Spain. In fact, the young man stuck out like a sore thumb. The only reason he moved so far away from home was that he needed work, and there were always talks about the fights between the Catholics and the Arabs down in Spain. They called it something strange, something that starts with an R, but he couldn’t remember right now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something That Starts with an R

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set during the Reconquista in Spain. That being said, there are like three lines in Spanish. I will translate that at the end for anyone who needs it. 
> 
> Let me know what you think. :)

Niall didn’t exactly fit in after he moved to Spain. In fact, the young man stuck out like a sore thumb. The only reason he moved so far away from home was that he needed work, and there were always talks about the fights between the Catholics and the Arabs down in Spain. They called it something strange, something that starts with an R, but he couldn’t remember right now. All he knew was that there would be plenty to do in a warring state. 

So he moved. 

He found work in the north for a good while. People up there always needed weapons for the war down south. He jumped from blacksmith job to blacksmith jump for a few months. Then he was propositioned to join in the war itself. Now, Niall was never much of a fighter, but they offered him pay and food. So, he followed those troops all the way down to Cordoba where he decided to stay. Didn’t have to fight a single battle. 

Cordoba was one of the most magnificent place Niall had ever seen. It was nothing like the cities back in Ireland which were all stone and dark. No, Cordoba had wide streets with tall buildings and color. There was color everywhere and special art. And the people! Oh, the people were wonderful to Niall. They bustled around the streets talking and laughing and bartering there ways in and out of deals. It was the best place Niall had ever been, so he decided to stay. 

He opened a small weapons shop near one of the busiest market square. It wasn’t too big, and if there were more than three people there at a time, it got a little crowded. But that was okay for Niall. Most of the money he made was from selling the daggers in the shop. Sometimes he got a custom job, but other than that, he made enough to live. 

Niall heard the ding of the bell over his front door and walked behind the counter of daggers to greet his next customer. _”Hola.”_

_”Hola.”_ The customer rang back. Niall couldn’t see the customer’s face, but he could see his tan skin and dark hair from the back. His clothes made Niall guess he wasn’t Spanish.

_”¿Como puedo ayudarte?”_ Niall asked. 

_”Lo siento, señor, pero mi español es malo. ¿Hablas árabe?”_

Niall shook his head. _”No, lo siento. Solo español e inglés.”_

“Good,” the man said walking up to the dagger counter. “I speak English better than Spanish.” 

Niall stared at the man for a while. He realized long ago that the people of Cordoba were beautiful, but this man was something else. He didn’t look anything like the people he had seen on his journey here. “Okay, can I help you with something, sir?” He asked after he realized he was staring into this man’s dark brown eyes. 

“I need two daggers and a sword. Each custom and these stones need to be put into the handles.” The man replied before he pulled out a small pouch and proceeded to dump jewels onto the counter. 

Niall picked up the precious stones and held them up into the light where they shined brightly. He couldn’t remember if he had ever seen anything like these. He once met a lady who had a clear jewel, but these were red and blue and green. “These look very expensive.” 

“They are.” The man said with a smile you would give a child. “They are from a different country. I’ve traveled very far to get them for someone very important, so I am willing to pay a lot.” 

“What were you looking to do?” Niall asked putting the stones down and getting out a sheet a paper and some charcoal. 

The man told him everything he wanted in the weapons, which stone went with which, how long he needed them to be, want kind of sheath he wanted for each, how much detail in the handles he wanted, if he wanted them inscribed. He left no detail out. 

“When did you want these?” Niall asked the man. 

“As soon as I can get them,” the man responded. 

Niall rubbed his chin, looking over the project plans. “I can get them to you in less than a fortnight. With this detail, maybe eight days at the earliest.” The man nodded. “Okay, I’ll get started on them right away.” 

“There’s just one thing, Mr.-“

“Niall,” he added. 

“The thing is, Mr. Niall, I traveled for many months looking for stones as good as these. And while I trust you, I cannot simply leave them here with you.” 

“Okay, I probably won’t need them for two or three days. You can come back then when I need them.” 

The man nodded, and then promptly left. And Niall, staying true to his word, got started as soon as he could. 

Niall expected to see the man back when he told him to return in three days, but he came back the next day. Niall asked him if there was anything wrong, and the man said no and said he was just checking up. 

He came back each day until the job was done. Niall learned quite a bit about this man. His name was Zayn and he was a specialty merchant. He travelled all the way to China to get a special tea for a man in England, and he did that sort of stuff all the time. This job was for one of the generals living in Granada. 

Niall liked Zayn. He liked Zayn quite a bit in fact. He came in roughly the same time every day. Niall would chat with him for a little bit, and after the first couple of days, he let Zayn in the back with him while he worked. Zayn seemed to be in awe of his skill, and Niall told him the story about how he learned originally from his father but perfected his skill with the Spanish up north. 

They enjoyed each other’s company but it couldn’t last forever. The tenth day after he met Zayn, two days after he thought, he was finally done with his job, and it was time for Zayn to be on his way to north Granada. 

“I hope they are up to your customer’s standard.” Niall said, handing over the finished projects. 

“I’m sure they will be. They’re beautiful. I’ll have to come back next time I need anything sharp.” Zayn smiled at him. 

Niall looked down, feeling his face heat up as he smiled. “You flatter me, but I’m sure there will be plenty of weapon makers you will meet in your time.” 

“Ah,” Zayn nodded his head, placing his palms flat on the counter. “But none with the beauty of this weapon maker.” 

“The flattery continues.” Niall laughed lightly. 

“Come with me.” Zayn said suddenly. 

“What?” Niall asked, felling as though he misunderstood the man. 

“Come with me,” Zayn repeated. “On my travels. I always need a weapon expert with me, might as well have a personal one instead of having to hunt one down in each city.” 

“You’re just talking crazy now.” Niall shook his head, looking down.

“No, no,” Zayn said, lifting Niall’s chin with his fingertips. “It’s not crazy. It only takes a moment to spot talent like yours. Please, join me on my travels.”

“I can’t just leave.” Niall said. 

“Sure you can!” Zayn exclaimed with a smile. “You’re just renting the shop, living upstairs. We’ll pack up your already made weapons, sell them on the road. Come on! It’ll be an adventure!”

“But-“

“No, buts. Just do it. You already travelled half of the known world here, so why not keep going?” Zayn said with hope glimmering behind his eyes and a smile on his face. 

“Okay,” Niall nodded. “Yeah, okay.” 

Zayn’s smile only got bigger. 

They spent months traveling together after stopping in north Granada to drop off the custom weapons Niall had made for Zayn’s customer. Niall didn’t know the world was so big. He saw animals he didn’t even think existed outside of fairy tales. Each place was just as extraordinary as the last. There were a few he even liked better than Cordoba. Zayn took him everywhere. 

They were currently staying in a tavern in France looking for a copy of French poetry books for a scholar in Alexandria. Niall was writing a letter back to his folks in Ireland while Zayn was getting food from downstairs. Just as he was finishing up, Zayn slipped back into the room with two bowls of stew. 

“Here you go,” Zayn said placing the bowl on the table in front of him. 

Niall beamed at him as Zayn fell into the chair next to him, immediately propping his feet in Niall’s lap. “Thank you, love.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hola- Hello  
> Como puedo ayudarte?- How can I help you?  
> Lo siento, señor, pero mi español es malo. ¿Hablas árabe?- I'm sorry, sir, but my Spanish is bad. Do you speak Arabic?   
> No, lo siento. Solo español e inglés.- No, I'm sorry. Only Spanish and English.


End file.
